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Where is King Charles III’s Dumfries House and is it open to the public?-Olivia Stringer-Entertainment – Metro
The King decided to restore the property in 2007
A documentary about the house will air on ITV tonight (Picture:Getty)
A Royal Grand Design will air tonight on ITV, and will tell the story of King Charles III’s ambitious plan to restore the 18th-century stately home Dumfries House.
The programme took over a decade to make, with the then prince describing the project as an “appalling risk”.
But where exactly is Dumfries House and is it open to the public?
Here’s all you need to know.
Where is Dumfries House?
Dumfries House is a country house located in Ayrshire in Scotland.
It is located within a 2,000-acre estate, around two miles west of Cumnock.
King Charles III saved the house from ruin (Picture:Getty)
The house is one of the few of its kind still with much of its original 18th-century furniture still present, including pieces specially commissioned by cabinet maker Thomas Chippendale.
The estate is now owned by The Princes Trust foundation and the house and gardens are listed as significant aspects of Scottish heritage.
More: Royal Family
Is Dumfries House open to visitors?
King Charles said that refurbishing Dumfries House was an ‘appalling risk’ (Picture:Getty)
Dumfries House has been open for public tours since July 2008.
Various guided tours of the house and its artwork take place daily in the summer months and at weekends in the winter.
Visitors can also visit the estate, including the Queen Elizabeth Walled Garden, a maze and an adventure playground free of charge.
In addition, the house can be hired for weddings and private events.
More information can be found on the Dumfries House website.
Why did King Charles decide to restore Dumfries House?
Dumfries House was built in the 1750s for William Dalrymple, the fifth Earl of Dumfries.
It was inherited by the second Marquess of Bute in 1814 and remained in his family until 2007, when the seventh Marquess sold it, due to the cost of upkeep.
During this period, the house suffered a descent into ruin.
Due to the risk of the house’s impressive furniture collection being sent to auction, a consortium headed by the then Prince of Wales bought the entire Dumfries estate for £45 million in 2007.
The project including adding a farm to the estate (Picture:Getty)
Aswell as wanting to preserve its contents, Charles said that he wanted to help to create jobs and regenerate the local economy by restoring the property.
Speaking during tonight’s documentary, he says: ‘I wanted to try and make a difference to the local area. It had many of the worst indices of unemployment and ill health and everything else.
‘I’m one of those people who rather likes taking on the most difficult challenges. I felt it was worth taking this appalling risk.
He adds: ‘This area has been so battered and deprived, particularly since the loss of the mining industry and everything.’
As well as restoring the main house, the project helped to bring the walled garden back to life and added a horticultural and education centre, a cookery school, a farm and a textiles centre to the grounds, creating jobs in the process.
A Royal Grand Design is on at 9pm tonight on ITV One
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